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WILKES-BARRE — The eyes of the hockey world have been on Buffalo, New York, since Tuesday with the start of the International Ice Hockey Federation’s annual World Junior Championship.

That includes the eyes of some of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

“I definitely watch most of the highlights and stuff and try to catch the games whenever they’re on,” forward Teddy Blueger said Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena. “Especially when the countries are playing where guys are from. U.S./Canada is probably going to be a lot of fun in here with a lot of Canadian guys.”

The Latvia native knows firsthand the level of pride and passion that surrounds the most prestigious tournament in the world for the U20 age bracket. In fact, a few of his teammates do as well.

Blueger; defensemen Jarred Tinordi (United States), Chris Summers (United States) and Lukas Bengtsson (Sweden); and forwards Freddie Tiffels (Germany) and Thomas Di Pauli (United States) have all represented their home country in the event, which has been an official tournament since 1977. Not surprisingly, Canada and Russia (formerly the Soviet Union) have dominated since its inception with 29 combined gold medals, but there is plenty at stake for players of all nations involved.

For some, the tournament offers a chance to enhance or solidify their stock for the upcoming entry draft — the most obvious example this year being projected lottery pick Rasmus Dahlin of Sweden. Or, maybe its an opportunity to help their homeland get recognition alongside some of the traditional hockey powers.

But all involved can agree it’s an important stepping stone toward their individual on-ice progression.

“You get to play against the best players in the world for that age group, so that’s big for your development,” Blueger said. “It makes you a better player. You kind of see the level you need to reach to get to the next level, so, yeah, it was pretty big.”

Just look at the 2012 edition, which featured both Blueger and Tinordi, and you’ll get a pretty good idea of the quality of talent involved.

In Tinordi’s group were Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Finland. Some of the players on those teams included, just to name a few current NHLers: Olli Maatta (Pittsburgh), Mark Scheifele (Winnipeg), Joonas Donskoi (San Jose) and Mikael Granlund (Minnesota).

As for Blueger and the Group A teams? They had to deal with Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay), Evgeny Kuznetsov (Washington), William Karlsson (Vegas) and Vezina Trophy favorite Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay).

Tinordi and Team USA wound up seventh of 10 competing squads, while Blueger and Latvia were ninth.

“We didn’t finish where we wanted, but I think all-around, especially playing that tournament in Canada — we were in Calgary and in Edmonton — was awesome,” the 25-year-old Tinordi said. “We played the game against Canada on New Year’s Eve; that was awesome. Something I watched as a kid, and you watch all those great games that have been played between the US and Canada. It’s something you definitely want to be a part of.

“It was incredible. It was definitely one of the highlights of my career.”

Tiffels, 22, was fortunate enough to represent Germany in the tournament from 2013-15. He played in 19 games total, recording five goals and four assists.

The former Western Michigan University player said the event is a lesson for the competitors in balancing priorities. While they may want to have fun and just enjoy the experience, he said it’s important for them to remember that playing good hockey comes first.

That even goes for Germany, where the fervor for soccer always trumps that of hockey.

“But within the hockey community, it’s a big deal,” said Tiffels, who played alongside current Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl. “Especially for the national team there.

“It’s a great, great stage to represent yourself and your country.”

The championship’s fan popularity in the US has grown in recent years — a correlation of the team’s three titles since 2010. Last year’s run to gold was capped by a thrilling 5-4 shootout win over its heated rival to the north. Blueger made his pitch for any viewers still on the fence, saying the games are usually fast-paced and high scoring.

The players like it that way as well, which is why Tiffels still feverishly checks the television and scoreboard to catch up on the day’s action. So, if they had any advice for the current crop of future superstars competing in New York, it would be to soak in the moment but also be aware of the recognition and opportunity it presents.

“It’s such a big and fun event,” Blueger said. “It’s just like a big hockey party. Obviously, you want to play well, but I think with it being perhaps your only opportunity to play in something like that, you just want to enjoy it.”

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